reading

FIVE GREAT NEW ELEVATOR PITCHES

Chris Westfall

ISBN: 9781618420282

INTRODUCTION

Getting your story heard is the challenge of our age. We live in a sound-byte world, and people get bit every day trying to make their way from the Internet into a powerful personal conversation. Emoticons and electronic friends are easy, but not very effective if you really want to challenge the status quo. Is anybody really “pitching” anything anymore? Maybe it’s time for a fresh start, before you take a ride on an old and outdated elevator.

There are more ways than ever to connect, but sadly we are not making very real connections. Electronic or otherwise, your message has to be strong across all formats or it’s lost. There’s just too much noise; without a solid story nobody’s ever going to listen. Or, worse yet, retweet you.

Think about it: when it’s time to get down to business, it’s time to talk. We spend so much time typing that we have lost the person-to-person skills that we must use to communicate effectively.

Today’s shortened attention spans mean that even in person, you have, at the most, a two-minute window of opportunity to catch the attention of clients, bosses, co-workers, kids and spouses. You have to be ready, willing and able to deliver a compelling message – a message that makes your listener say, “Tell me more…”

You have to be prepared for the New Elevator Pitch – a modern message that serves as a great foundation for your personal brand.

The focus of this book is on creating your best presentation – no, wait a minute, your best CONVERSATION ever – without notes, without PowerPoint, and without rehearsal. When it really matters – you can stand up and say it. With confidence.

I’m dedicated to improving your communications, two minutes at a time, in a way that’s authentic and relevant for our times. I want your message to be stronger than it has ever been before, so let’s get started.

Ready for Five Great Elevator Pitches?

THE SCENARIOS

These scenarios include tips from experts in the New Elevator Pitch, my own analysis, and model pitches, which I call “Perfect Pitch”. Each scenario includes at least one exercise – a quick drill, designed to be accomplished in two minutes or less. The two-minute drill illustrates the key concept from the scenario, and gives you the means to take control and make changes in your message and your delivery. “The Breakdown” is a device for analyzing the elements of the pitch. In my coursework with executives and colleges, I break down the elevator pitch into seven sections – a sentence or two on each section, and you’ve got a perfect two minute pitch.

Even if these scenarios don’t seem to apply directly to your situation, check them out anyway. Note that the names have been changed to protect the innocent; there are elements of fiction and “poetic license” within the factual concepts in the scenarios.

Read on to find out more from some folks who live and die by their elevator speech. Here are the scenarios that show you how to put the New Elevator Pitch into action.

SCENARIO: WHY HIRE ME?

Use it when: you are being interviewed for a job and need to convince someone that you are the right candidate

“Why Hire Me” is a classic pitch, and one of the most important. Entire industries are devoted to making this story stick, but you will learn how to do it properly right here. Whether you are a Baby Boomer, Millennial or a Gen Xer, you need to master this New Elevator Pitch: your career depends on it.

The Millennial CEO

Five years ago, Dan Newman was a regional account manager for a Chicago-based manufacturer’s representative, selling high-end electronics to small businesses. Today, just a few years later, he’s the President and CEO at a multi-million dollar IT and integration firm. His ascent to the top office is especially impressive when you consider that he took the reigns at a company he didn’t start…all before his 30th birthday. Welcome to the “Why Hire Me?” pitch - courtesy of the Millennial CEO.

“Competence is the key to landing the job,” Dan says, from his suburban Chicago office. Intense as you might expect, Dan is often quick with a joke (usually at his own expense) as we talk. A former college athlete and father of two, he explains that he has had to rely on his personal selling skills to build his track record.

But, what about when you don’t have a track record?

How do you pitch, when your experience may not be exactly right for the role? After all, overcoming the issue of experience is the challenge for every job seeker – from Gen Y to the Silent Generation. You either have too much experience, or not enough – or it’s in the wrong industry, or from an unknown company. How can someone overcome the challenge of experience?

Here’s Dan’s step-by-step process to pitching yourself as the perfect job candidate – and making your experience matter, when the stakes are high:

Confidence – or more precisely, a “humble confidence”. Dan explains that, no matter what your role or experience level, “The team has to believe that you can deliver value that they can’t find somewhere else . . . If you don’t believe in you, no one else will either.”

Inspiration – “A big part of my success has hinged on my ability to convince others that I can do what they need me to do. I refer to past accomplishments and experience, but – at the end of the day – people have to believe that you can get the job done.” Transferring your beliefs to another is one of the hallmarks of inspiration, and a key to getting others to take action.

Results “It’s all about packaging your accomplishments”, according to Dan. Does your resume reflect your results, or just your skills? When you are asked for your elevator pitch, do you deliver those results in clear package for the interviewer?

If a company is going to invest in you, you have to show that you really understand what they’re trying to accomplish – and the implication of their challenges.

The Antidote for “Can’t” – “You have to remove the word ‘can’t’ from your vocabulary,” Dan says, without hesitation. “And you have to make sure the company understands and believes that –with you in place – that overcoming their challenge is now possible.”

Delivery – “What’s the path to that profitability that all businesses seek?” Dan suggests that question as the centerpiece of any hiring strategy. In other words, what’s the “Why?” from the hiring manager’s perspective? You have to demonstrate that you understand how to deliver the results that are needed – even if those results are in engineering, customer service or cost accounting. Every role and every department has results; explain how your role would contribute to that accomplishment.

Go Beyond Your Experience – What about new responsibilities – things you haven’t got on your resume? “You have to show extraordinary competence in the area of your expertise – and then connect that track record to new opportunities and new challenges . . . Look at the experience you do have, and explain how it relates.”

Leadership without Authority – “If you want to move into a new role with new responsibility, you have to show how you’ve been able to marshal resources from diverse departments, without having an executive role.” Leadership without a title is the first step towards getting one.

Research – Know the company, and know your audience. “Do you know enough about me and my business,” Dan asks matter-of-factly, “before you ask me to buy YOU?”

To find out more about Dan Newman, check out blog, http://newmanon.com. You can also check out his posts on the popular blog that he co-founded, http://www.12most.com

Your Two-Minute Drill: Injecting Confidence

The key to inspiring a hiring manager is to make your experience matter when the stakes are high. How do you do that, in two minutes or less? Start the timer, and answer the questions below:

1. Fill in the blanks:

“The solution I can provide for this company is ____________________, and I’m different from the other applicants because _______________________. I’ve proved that quality time and time again, through my experience at _______________________.”

“I am at my best when ___________________.”

“My greatest professional accomplishment is ____________________.”

“One surprising thing you may not know about me is that I’m actually really good at ______________________.”

“The difference I believe I can make for your company is _____________________.”

“What’s unique about my experience, as it relates to this position, is _____________________.”

Focus

“Why Hire Me” is the pitch that really focuses on your listener. This speech is not about how badly you need the job, or how long you’ve been looking for an opportunity like this one, or ANYTHING other than what YOU CAN DO FOR THE EMPLOYER. Focus on the difference you can make, and the solution you provide.

For the “Why Hire Me” pitch, it’s critical that you invert and rearrange a key component of your elevator speech. As you know from previous chapters on the Langer study, the words “”“”